gould



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(N0 Mudel.)

W. W. GOULD.

CORSET.

Patented June 23,1891.

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Attorney's WITNESSES m: mama PETERS 00., mom-mun msnmnmu, 0.4:.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

JNVENIOR Attorney 6 Patented June 23, 1891.

W. W. GOULD. CORSET.

(No Model.)

WITNESSES THE NORRIS Pgrzns an, Puma-mike WABNIMWON, n. c.

wire STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVALLACE iVHITE GOULD, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR IVARNER BROTHERS, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

C 0 RS ET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 454,469, dated June 23, 1891.

Application filed January 6, 1891. Serial No.3'76,887. (N0 model.)

1'0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TALLACE THITE GOULD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, Fairfield county, Connectiout, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corsets, of which the following is a specification.

It is common in the manufacture of corsets to make each section from a number of longitudinal strips and to impart the desired fullness at different portions by the use of strips of varying widths, and also by the employment of intermediate gore-pieces or darts shorter than the strips, the strips or strips and gore-pieces having edges more or less curved.

The manufacture of corsets from strips extending the whole or a part of the length of the corset and having opposite curved or irregularly-shaped edges that must be 0011- nected together is attended with many obj ections as, for instance, the liability of the pieces to wrinkle or pucker, the necessity of employing skilled labor in order to secure neat seams, the time required to properly connect the parts, and the expense resulting from cutting irregular forms from the cloth. I11 that class of corsets in which overlying strips with pockets for cords or ribs are placed upon the body-section it is common in some instances to secure said overlying pieces or strips to the body portion after the sections constituting the latter have been sewed. together, which necessitates nice manipulation and adjustment of the parts, requiring skilled labor and involvin an objectionable loss of time and expense.

My invention consists in means for avoiding the objections incident to the ordinary methods of manufacture, as fully set forth hereinafter, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a corset constructed in accordance with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a plan showing the forms of the different sections constituting one half of the corset-body. Fig. 3 represents in section on the line 3 3, Fig. 2, the difierent sections composing the other half of the corsetbody,

In the manufacture of corsets i make use of a suitable number of sections A 13 C D E of varying width, so as to impart the desired fullness to the corset at the proper point without the use of gores or darts; but instead of making the said sections or the greater portion thereof each with both of the sides or edges curved I so construct said sections that the curved or irregular edge w of one section will meet and be united to the adjacent straight edge of the next section. By thus constructing the sections so that the curved or waved edge of one section is united to a straight edge of the other section I secure many advantages. In the first place there is a great saving of cloth, resulting from the fact that at least one edge of nearly every section can be out without loss upon a straight line, which may be the edge of the cloth or one of the edges of another section, thereby avoiding the waste which is inevitable when both edges of each section are curved or irregular. In the second place the straight edge of one section can be united to the irregular edge of the next section with less manipulation and less loss of time than when two irregular edges must be brought together, and the union is effected without in the least puckering or injuring the fabric of either section, so that comparatively unskilled labor may be employed in uniting the parts and the article is produced at a much lower cost than would otherwise be possible.

The sections A and B constitute what are known as the bust'sections, and as the edges of these two sections are united along the straight line 3 the bust-fullness is imparted by a single seam which runs perpendicularly, instead of being twisted and out of line, impairing the appearance of the corset.

In. order to avoid the objections incident to applying the overlying strips to the body of the corset after the sections are sewed together, I secure each overlying strip I to one of the sections before the latter are united, the overlying strip being arranged with its edge parallel to the straight edge of the section. The overlying strips are cut from a continuous strip or piece, the edges of which are turned in to make folds i, the strips being then cut into sections of proper length and the edge of each section of the corset-body to which the strip I is to be applied is turned in at the outer face to make a fold c". The strip 1, with its fold downward, is then applied to one of the sections of the corset with its folded edge parallel to the folded edge of the corset-section, and the strip and the section beneath are sewed together by lines of stitching 1, 2, and 3, and upon intermediate cords, ribs, or bones, if necessary, said lines of stitching being sewed either simultaneously or, preferably, in succession. After the lines of stitching 1, 2, and 3 have been-formed the curved edge x of each section is introduced between theinfolded edges of the adjacent section and its overlying strip, and the parts are sewed together by an additional line of stitching 4, passing through the infolded edges and the section between them, thereby uniting all of the sections and forming the half-body of the corset, with the exception of the eyelet and hook-pieces, which are applied thereafter, as usual, in a manner not necessary to describe.

One of the results of the means of construction above described is the saving of time in folding the edges, inasmuch as the edges of the overlying strips are folded by machinery. One edge of each section is not folded at all, while the edge which is folded is a straight edge that can be turned in by a folding device or by hand with certainty, rapidity, and precision, and without any wrinkling of the material.

Inasmuch as the application of the overlying strips I to the separate sections before uniting them prevents the application of a continuous zone to the body portion, I pro- \Vhile I have described a particular method I of uniting the sections, which is desirable when overlying pieces are employed, Ido not limit myself to such method, as the said edges may be joined in any suitable or desirable manner.

It will also be evident that my invention may be used in connection with corsets of single or double thickness.

Vithout limiting myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts shown and described, I claim- A corset consisting of sections having straight and curved edges, as set forth, whereby in the completed corset the straight edge of each section is joined to the adjacent curved edge of the next section, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WVALLAOE WVI'IITE GOULD.

Witnesses:

GEO. S. HILL, ALBERT J. MIDDLEBRQOK. 

